Kensal Canalside, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, for Ballymore and Sainsbury’s, with FaulknerBrowns and Spacehub

A 7.6ha housing site has been designed to deliver 2,519 new homes, with at least 500 affordable homes. The community will gain 362sqm of free and open spaces, including new public parks, play areas and a restored canal basin, along with upgraded transport on Ladbroke Grove with an improved junction and new bus stops, as well as better links to the canalside path. The project has an estimated GDV of £3bn.

Who is on the project team? (designer, consultants, etc)

The masterplan, by Faulkner Browns Architects, has been shaped over the last three years, in close consultation with the local community, local councillors, planning officers and, the GLA to shape a place that meets the area’s current and future needs. These contributions have been invaluable in guiding the design process and prompting significant adaptations. The project team also includes:

Sainsbury’s Store Architects: Hutchinson Architects

Residential Architects: MacCreanor Lavington

Landscape Architects: Spacehub

Planning Consultants: Rolfe Judd

Energy & Sustainability Consultant: Hoare Lea

Structural Engineers: Walsh

Transport Consultants: WSP

Environmental Assessment: Trium

Describe the context of this project, its neighbourhood and people.

Much of the 19-acre site has been closed off for over 40 years as a former gasworks site, and most recently been occupied by temporary uses, such as commercial storage and recycling, concealed behind secure fencing. The current Sainsbury’s Supermarket is in need of modernisation, with a large car park at surface level that dominates the eastern half of the site. The site is served by four stations (Kensal Green, Kensal Rise, Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Park.), all within 15 minutes’ walk. Seven bus routes access the site entrance, manoeuvring around a small roundabout– resulting in a difficult environment for pedestrians and cyclists at the junction onto Ladbroke Grove. The site is part of the Kensal Canalside Opportunity Area, allocated to deliver a minimum of 3,500 homes and 2,000 jobs. The RKBC Local Plan also allocated the KCOA for development. The KCOA has multiple landowners, as shown in a map attached to this entry. The area is diverse and culturally rich, 34% of residents are from black, Asian or minority ethnic background. The site has an important legacy with the Notting Hill Carnival, and is where the Mas Bands assemble before joining the carnival route. The immediate area is in drastic need of investment, as RBKC’s most disadvantaged – at a major disparity with the southern part of the borough which by contrast is one of the wealthiest parts of the country.

Please describe your approach to this future place and its mix of uses. How will it function as a vibrant place? How does it knit into, and serve the needs of, the wider area?

The future place has been designed to deliver: • An inclusive, welcoming neighbourhood in the heart of an existing community • Thousands of homes for all generations • New shops, leisure, and workplaces bringing jobs, growth and opportunity • Two new parks, a new canal basin and canal links • A hub for businesses, charities and community groups • A safe environment for pedestrians / cyclists The site has an island quality, divided by the canal and railway to the north and south. Our vision is to connect the ‘island’ so that it is accessible to neighbouring communities thanks to outstanding transport links, and essential and attractive amenities. Character areas will create vibrancy and diversity: • The Avenue: the traditional ‘high street’ - with wide pavements and cycle lanes • The Canalside Fringe: a park between two residential buildings, with playspace for all ages • The New Wharf: a reinstated basin, the setting for cafes/restaurants • The Southern Terrace: a boulevard providing access to a potential future cycle / pedestrian bridge over the tracks. We have worked with Full of Life, a neighbouring charity supporting children with additional needs, to ensure public realm design is inclusive to disabilities and neurodiversity. Architecture takes inspiration from Regency /Victorian design, as well as Kensal Green Cemetery, the Grand Union Canal and local culture. Height and massing knits the neighbourhood into its surrounding: tall buildings are to the south towards the railways, while buildings lower in height are to the north, towards the cemetery.

What is the environmental impact of the project? How will the carbon use and material impact of the development be mitigated? What is the sustainability strategy?

A comprehensive sustainability strategy aims to maximise renewable generation and green infrastructure to produce zero emissions on site. Heating and cooling will be provided by air source heat pumps and the development will feature solar panels and sustainable urban drainage systems. The scheme has been based on sustainable design and construction practices, adopting circular economy principles by considering the lifecycle of materials and minimising waste. Our aim to achieve a BREEAM rating of Excellent across the entire development. The plans encourage sustainable travel with new bus stops, pedestrian links and cycle routes and improved access to the canal-side path. In response to Transport for London’s focus on active travel and pedestrian and cyclist safety as a priority, signalised junctions will be introduced on Ladbroke Grove and Kensal Road. What is the environmental impact of the project? The scheme will achieve a 10% reduction of energy against building regulations 2021 baseline required for residential, 15% reduction of energy against building regulations 2021 baseline required for non-domestic and a 35% reduction against building regulations 2021 baseline required for the site through use of low or zero carbon technology. How will the carbon use and material impact of the development be mitigated? Carbon and material impact will be mitigated by a strategy of reduce and re-use. We will ‘reduce’ through minimalist design, and by designing for longevity. We will re-use site materials where possible and will be using low-carbon modular construction methods that can be easily decommissioned.